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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · current · kid · row · perch · lean · pass · ruler

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lean — thin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. kid — to tease
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — child
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. row — a line
  18. pop — soda
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. current — happening now
  23. pass — a permit
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com